Vastness of gloom
by public static void
Summary: Their home didn't feel right when silence overtook it; Lucius missed Draco and their usual, loud antics. For Lamia's "Not a good person, but still a person" Competition.


Evenings were a quiet affair in Malfoy Manor, more so since Draco went to Hogwarts for the first time the last month. Where once the constant and seemingly endless chatter of the lively boy could be heard from one end of the house to another, now the days came and went in relative silence.

Narcissa often complained about them, Lucius and Draco, running around the house with dirty feet after tending to the Abraxans in the stables or breaking a particularly ugly piece of furniture or home decoration bought by one of her friends. Now, Narcissa had Draco's name in her lips and thoughts often. Lucius would catch her standing by the door of the boy's room, looking into the mess he left behind.

"I told him Dobby wouldn't clean his room if he didn't put his dirty clothes in the basket," Narcissa explained the chaos of the room one of those silent evenings.

"He clearly didn't expect you to keep up your end of the deal, dear," Lucius told her with a chuckle. His arm pulled her by the waist, and they leaned against each other, searching for warmth. "I never thought I would feel this way when he went to Hogwarts. It's such a bizarre sentiment, but not less real than thirst or hunger."

It was Narcissa's turn to laugh but to Lucius, it felt somewhat forced.

"Is something else bothering you, darling?"

Lucius took pride on being a capable husband, providing for his wife whatever she might want, be it jewels or silk clothes, or a garden full of winter roses in the summer. He would give her the world, if he could. Seeing her in distress left him with a bitter feeling, as if he were failing his self-appointed mission.

Narcissa looked at him through her thick lashes, not raising her chin in the lovely, defiant way she used when she wanted to be spoiled. Her lower lip trembled a little.

"He sent a letter last night," she began to say. Lucius nodded and she continued talking as they made their way to the small parlor beside their bedroom.

There, they sat by the window and one of their elves immediately apparated with hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, and a pot of mint tea.

"Are you worried about his grades? Did Severus included something in the letter?" Lucius would be the first to admit he didn't care much for Draco's grades. The boy was intelligent, but not academically oriented. He expected great things from him, but not in the form of academical achievements.

To his surprise, Narcissa shook her head.

"He says people are being _unfair_ to him because of his surname."

Ah. Her almost whisper caught him by surprise, and for a brief moment, he considered going to Hogwarts to speak with the faculty. It would not help and probably would worsen Draco's situation.

"Students, or teachers?" he had to ask, and he needed to know. If the offenders were students, a letter to Draco might suffice, but one should be wary of authority, more so when one's family had been in the rival side of a political war in recent times.

 _Then again, it wasn't entirely political and many good people died. The Rosiers in our side and the Prewetts in theirs. All for the arrogance we had. But I'd do it again if needed._ His thoughts remained private, though, as he didn't want to worry his wife with them.

"Students, mostly," she told him, picking up a slice of bread and dipping it in honey. "He confided something to me before the train departed that day. Harry Potter is here, Mother, he told me, and I would befriend him. I'm worried we didn't explain clearly enough why we don't socialize much, Lucius. I'm worried that Draco believes us to be better, to be of the right mind."

It was indeed a worrying thought and for a second Lucius did not know how to answer. Perhaps they should have outright told Draco the truth: _we don't mingle with the light aligned people because your father hurt many of their friends and family during the last war._..

He shook his head, trying to forget the image of Narcissa's soft lips saying that to Draco. It would hurt Lucius more than the constant fear whenever he had to be in the presence of Amelia Bones, Rufus Scrimgeour, or Albus Dumbledore; against them he had his money and his alibi. He had nothing against the truth.

"He will be alright, Cissa," he said at the end, after almost finishing all the blackberry preserves. "Draco is strong and stubborn. He will surely surprise us by becoming Harry Potter's best friend."

"I fear that's wishful thinking, husband." Narcissa shook her head, smiling sadly as she did. "Yet you are right. Our Draco is strong."

He was, but Lucius had the feeling that Narcissa was right. He only hoped his dear son wasn't hurt so bad by those who spurned him, and that he wouldn't take the same wrong turns he took.


End file.
